Same-sex marriage supporters want to move quickly on a bill

Supporters of legalizing same-sex marriage hope to speedily pass legislation in the first weeks of the upcoming legislative session.

That is, they hope to send a bill to Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s desk prior to the release of February budget forecast.

“This kind of closes the loop of the election,” said Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, who looks to carry same-sex marriage legislation in the House.

Hausman, like Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, who plans to carry a same-sex marriage bill in the Senate, points to the failure of the Republican-sponsored marriage amendment last election as evidence of the state reaching a consensus on same-sex marriage.

“To me, I think the time has come,” said Marty, who has sponsored same-sex marriage bills in the past.

Hausman and Marty argue passage of same-sex marriage legislation needn’t be time consuming nor distract from the mission of setting the state budget.

Marty speaks of a two-hour debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee and an up or down vote.

Hausman is a bit more cautious, saying the number of committees a same-sex marriage bill might need to clear in the House depends on its legal implications and the desire of House leadership.

But she also looks to passing a bill before the final state budget numbers come out in the forecast.

Democrats control the legislature.

Dayton has long indicated his support for same-sex marriage, ceremonially vetoing the proposed marriage amendment when passed by the Republican-controlled legislature last session.

If lawmakers take their cue from voters in their districts, passage of the same-sex marriage legislation will be bipartisan, Hausman argues.

That’s because the amendment failed in about 20 districts that elected Republican House members, she said.

“What the DFL’s message (in the election) was, is that we shouldn’t be focused on divisive social issues,” he said.

Rather, lawmakers should focus on budgetary matters.

“It’s interesting how roles have switched,” Daudt said.

House Republicans thought long and hard about proposing the marriage amendment, Daudt explained.

And they will debate the issue seriously again, he said.

“These are complex issues that affect people’s lives,” Daudt said.

“I don’t think anybody takes them lightly on either side of the aisle,” he said.

Although not specifically speaking on same-sex marriage, Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, recently indicated that he did not support extending state employee benefits to same-sex partners.

About 1.4 million Minnesotans voted “Yes” on the marriage amendment defining marriage as between man and woman, with about 1.5 million voting “No.”

About 40,000 voters left the amendment ballot question blank, an omission or decision that automatically translated into a “No” vote.